Family LITHODIDAE Samouelle, 1819

Lithodes murrayi

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• Lithodiadae Samouelle, G. 1819. The Entomologist's Useful Compendium; or an introduction to the knowledge of British Insects, comprising the best means of obtaining and preserving them, and a description of the apparatus generally used; together with the genera of Linné, and modern methods of arranging the Classes Crustacea, Myriapoda, spiders, mites and insects, from the affinities and structure, according to the views of Dr. Leach. Also an explanation of the terms used in entomology; a calendar of the times of appearance and usual situations of near 3,000 species of British Insects; with instructions for collecting and fitting up objects for the microscope. London : Thomas Boys 496 pp. 12 pls. [90] [invalid name; invalid original spelling (ICZN 1958)].

  Secondary source:

   International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1958. Opinion 511. Validation under the Plenary Powers of the generic name Maja Lamarck, 1801 (Class Crustacea, Order Decapoda) and designation under the same Powers of a type species for that genus in harmony with established practise. Opinions and Declarations rendered by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 18(15): 257-272 [262].
• Ostracogastrica Brandt, J.F. 1850. Vorlaüfige Bemerkungen über eine aus zwei noch unbeschreibenen Gattungen und Arten gebildette Unterabtheilung (Hapalogastrica) der Tribus Lithodina, begleitet von einer Charakteristik der eben genannten Tribus der Anomuren. Bulletin de la Classe Physique-Mathematique Academie Imperiale des Sciences, St Petersbourg 8: 266-269 [268].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Macpherson, E. 1988. Revision of the family Lithodidae Samouelle, 1819 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Anomura) in the Atlantic Ocean. Monografías de Zoología Marina 2: 9-153 [17]

Introduction

The king crabs or stone crabs occur worldwide and are largely deep-water species, although several occur in shallow water at high latitudes, especially in the North Pacific. Around 135 species are known of which more than 60 occur in the Pacific Ocean. King crabs are best known from several commercially important northern hemisphere species. One species, Paralithodes camtschatica (Tilesius), for a long time has been the basis of a very important fishery in the North Pacific.

Lithodids differ from other paguroids in being crab-like, not inhabiting gastropod shells and in having a usually flattened, calcified pleon. Lithodids closely resemble brachyuran crabs but notably differ in having only three pairs of walking legs and an asymmetrical pleon in females. No other decapods more closely approximate the brachyuran form than do lithodids, being the paradigm example of carcinisation, that is, the evolution of a crab-like form from a non-crab ancestor. The family is divided into two subfamilies - only Lihodinae occur in Australia. Hapalogastrinae Brandt, 1850 is confined to the temperate North Pacific.

Lithodids are relatively rare in Australian waters, with only one species, Lithodes murrayi Henderson, 1888, moderately well known from southern Australian waters. Dawson & Yaldwyn (1985) and Dawson (1989) are invaluable reference works for the study of the Lithodidae. Ahyong (2010) revised the King Crabs of Australasian waters.

Diagnosis

Crab-like. Maxilliped 1 exopod with flagellum. Maxillipeds 3 widely separate at base. Epistomial spines absent. Chelipeds equal or unequal, right usually larger. Pereopods 2–4 ambulatory. Pleon asymmetrical in females, symmetrical in males; terga membranous or composed of calcified plates and nodules; pleonite 1 strongly reduced; pleonites 2–6 well-developed. Pleopods 2–5 unpaired in females, absent in males. Uropod absent.

Diagnosis References

Poore, G.C.B.,& Ahyong, S.T. 2023. Marine decapod Crustacea. A guide to families and genera of the World. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing pp. 928.

General References

Ahyong, S.T. 2010. The Marine Fauna of New Zealand: King Crabs of New Zealand, Australia and the Ross Sea (Crustacea: Decapoda: Lithodidae). NIWA Biodiversity Memoir 123: 3-194

Brandt, J.F. 1850. Vorlaüfige Bemerkungen über eine aus zwei noch unbeschreibenen Gattungen und Arten gebildette Unterabtheilung (Hapalogastrica) der Tribus Lithodina, begleitet von einer Charakteristik der eben genannten Tribus der Anomuren. Bulletin de la Classe Physique-Mathematique Academie Imperiale des Sciences, St Petersbourg 8: 266-269

Dawson, E.W. 1989. King crabs of the world (Crustacea: Lithodidae) and their fisheries. A comprehensive bibliography. New Zealand Oceanographic Institute Miscellaneous Publication 101: 1-336

Dawson, E.W. & Yaldwyn, J.C. 1985. King crabs of the world or the world of king crabs: an overview of identity and distribution — with illustrated diagnostic keys to the genera of the Lithodidae and to the species of Lithodes. pp. 69-106 in Alaska Sea Grant College Program. Proceedings of the International King Crab Symposium, Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.A. January 22–24, 1985. Alaska Sea Grant Report 85–12 [November 1985]

Macpherson, E. 1988. Revision of the family Lithodidae Samouelle, 1819 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Anomura) in the Atlantic Ocean. Monografías de Zoología Marina 2: 9-153

History of changes